Most New Yorkers support Cuomo medical marijuana pilot plan: poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most New Yorkers support Governor
Andrew Cuomo's plan to allow the use of medical marijuana in a
pilot program in up to 20 hospitals, according to a poll
released on Monday.

Nearly half (49 percent) of the New York voters polled
thought he should skip the pilot step entirely and legalize its
medical use statewide, as has already happened in about 20 other
states, the Siena College poll said.

A total of 28 percent of New Yorkers said the pilot program
was the way to go.

A slim majority of 54 percent, however, oppose following the
lead of the states of Colorado and Washington and legalizing
marijuana for recreational use; 41 percent supported such a
move.

"Voters under 35 say yes, as do a bare majority of men.
Democrats and independents are closely divided but Republicans
are a strong no," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said
in a statement. "New Yorkers are not yet ready to duplicate what
they see in the Mile High City."

Cuomo announced the plan in his annual State of the State
address earlier this month, saying that he would allow up to 20
hospitals to prescribe medical marijuana to help manage the pain
and to help treat cancer and other serious illnesses.

He said he would use an executive power to set up the
program, and that it would not need new legislation.

Siena College spoke to 808 people registered as voters in
New York last week for the poll, which had a margin of error of
3.4 percent.